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| "Worlds of DS9 Volume Three" by Keith R.A. DeCandido and David R. George III The Deep Space Nine post-finale books . . . Starting with the awesome Avatar duology, the series was brilliant. The Mission: Gamma books took the line to a whole new level. Unity was one of TrekLit's biggest ever achievments. And the first two Worlds of ST:DS9 double-novels were fantastic. So it's a shame that Volume Three in the Worlds line is the first post-finale book that I found to be flawed. As with the other two volumes in the mini-series, Volume Three contains two full-length novels, each focussing on a specific world relevant to the relaunch. The first of these is Ferenginar, in Keith R.A. DeCandido's tale Satisfaction is not Guaranteed. Rom, the new Grand Nagus of the Ferengi Alliance, is busy re-shaping the way his big-eared citizens live; whilst his Bajoran wife Leeta is pregnant. However, the broad strokes and overall themes of the novel aren't what makes it so great -- it's the tiny scenes and one-lines that make this such a helluva fun read. One of the characters is saving up his phlegm and selling it . . . Leeta is having trouble with the baby because it's head is too large . . . and the discussion of the new baby's name made me laugh out loud. Another standout chunk of the book is the character of Prinadora -- Rom's ex-wife, and Nog's mother. On Deep Space Nine, we only met two Ferengi women, and both of them were fighting against the Ferengi oppression of women and taking on stronger roles in society. Prinadora, however, accepts the idea that she's sub-human in Ferengi eyes, and she believes everything she's told about her role without question. It's a painful and uncomfortable scene to read, but it's carried off very well indeed. Satisfaction... is better than any Ferengi episode we were treated to on the TV series, and is the kind of in-depth look at their world that I've always wanted. Touching, funny, and frighteningly similar to modern human civilization, this is one of the author's best stories yet. The second story looks at the Dominion -- Olympus Descending by David R. George III. David's tale is split into several major chunks: one features Odo and Laas on the changeling homeworld in the Gamma Quadrant, another is a flash-back to what Odo and Kira discussed in Dax's closet during You Are Cordially Invited . . ., and the third highlights Kira, Taran'atar, and the crew of DS9. Sad to say, the former of those storylines didn't work for me. In Olympus Descending, we're introduced to the concept of the Progenitor -- a creature who the Founders believe to be their god. And that's the problem. The Founders programmed the Vorta and the Jem'Hadar to believe they were gods, because they knew that the belief in a higher being could be used to control and manipulate a person. So would they really have a deity of their own? It's for the reader to make up their own mind about this -- others may adore that particular plot development. It didn't hold water for me, but it's certainly not down to George's excellent writing style and the break-neck pacing of the novel as a whole. The flashbacks to the closet are marvellous, Taran'atar goes through a heckuva lot of dramatic character development, and Olympus Descending ends on an amazing cliff-hanger that won't be resolved until David Mack's Warpath arrives in 2006. DS9 fans should have a lot to enjoy. |
This review originally appeared on the BookTrek website, between 2004-2007.
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